BUTTERFLY PHOTOS FROM...

our trip to The Butterfly Conservatory at Niagara Falls in June 2013. 

When we entered the Conservatory, we encountered more butterflies than we had ever seen in any other, and we have visited many over the last ten years or so.  It was such a fun experience.  You had to be very careful where you stepped because on occasion there were some resting at our feet.  

There was a statue inside, of Diana, Goddess of the Hunt.  Her story is at this link if curious.  She had a visitor resting on her, which you can see below.

Cracker, Variable - Hamadryas feronia

She didn't seem to mind.   There was a lot of activity going on around her and in every other corner of the conservatory.

A male Great Eggfly (Hypolimnas bolina)

Julia (Dryas julia)

 Orange Julia 

Tiger-striped Longwing

The photo above and below are of the same butterfly.  It is the Tiger Mimic Queen.

The Blue Morpho is a butterfly when followed around did not stop anywhere.  I was trying to get the other side of its wings, which is an incredible blue color but the only time it stopped, this is the side it showed.  

Black Swallowtail.  I couldn't find out much about this one.  Most seem to have some sort of pattern but wasn't able to identify it exactly.

The butterfly above and below is Postman (Heliconius melpomene)

Atala - Eumaeus atala

Red Lacewing - Cethosia biblis

Rice Paper Butterfly (also known as a White Tree Nymph)  Idea Luconoe

And then...

I came around the corner and found a painted turtle in a small pond.  

I have another post with butterflies and I will share it soon.